Sometimes life these days feels like a broken record. I remember comparisons to Groundhog Day people made early on – “what do we need to do differently to magically move forward?!” We find ourselves with so many questions in our hearts and minds – and feeling overwhelmed at times by the energy that seems required of us to work, to care for our families and loved ones.
As I was thinking about the long and sustained effort that living during this time is requiring of us, especially those of us working in places like HHH, the words of the prophet Isaiah came to mind: “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
No sooner had I typed out these lines from Isaiah (this is the way my mind works) then the song “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes came into my head.
Like Brittany, who wrote the song, we find ourselves overwhelmed by life – and the pandemic is an intensifier of our already existing troubles. We find ourselves at times feeling stuck and like giving up. And then if we wait, if we let the dust settle for a moment, we often can hear a still, small voice, “Someone up above, saying ‘Come on, Brittany, you got to get back up.”
You got to hold on.”
We “don’t want to wait, but we “gotta wait.” And remember that love and care is what brought us into the work to begin with – and while our resources can be exhausted, the energy of love in which we live, move, and have our being, what many of us call God – is not exhausted. And will not be overcome by any adversity – if we can find ways to stay connected or reconnect to that deeper source of our life – we will find it a little less overwhelming to keep on caring and keep on loving. Meditation, walking mindfully are ways to reconnect – and prayer too.
So this morning I offer you this blessing from writer Kate Bowler:
“a blessing for the cost of continuing to care”
oh God, this pandemic is eclipsing more of our lives
as the year unfolds, and caring well is going to cost us
oh God sustain us.
help us bear the cost of kindness
when it keeps us apart
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
love always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
(1 Corinthians 13:7)
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
blessed are we,
weary from the complicated math of this continuing pandemic,
bone-tired from trying to understand what we have to do,
how we need to pivot
to manage our lives,
and take care of each other.
blessed are we, adjusting our eyes to the light of this new normal,
realizing that as one season has blended into the next,
there are coming decisions we hoped we would never have to make.
we are in this for the long haul.
blessed are we, living in this strange new space, the liminality
between what used to be, and what now is,
between what used to be possible, and what now isn’t.
we are adjusting, adjusting, adjusting,
and reality has sat us down and told us plainly
that things have changed.
we are starting to understand.
blessed are we, willing to start the hard conversations, do the long division,
and begin the slow thinking about the holidays, and those most vulnerable.
blessed are we who understand
that kindness can’t look the same this year, can’t feel the same,
but it still counts as love. eversomuch.
it’s in the eyes of the family members sharing virtual feasts,
in the faces of nurses who register relief when they see someone wearing a mask,
and in the relaxed hello of neighbors when people wave, but keep their distance,
in the grateful body language of workers when people are respectful.
blessed are we who choose kindness
until the storm passes.
God have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Spirit have mercy.
take a deep breath. help is coming.
just do what is gently possible.
“love is patient; love is kind.”
(1 Corinthians 13:4)